I am freaked out about the economy. Are you?

By Nataly Kogan from Work It, Mom!

Getty ImagesMy grandparents called me the other day to ask what they should do with the bit of money they have in the bank. At first I wasn't sure what they were asking, but then my grandma clarified that because I am a financial whiz (really? I guess all those years I spent in the mysterious-to-them world of venture capital somehow means that I know how to weather the current financial storm) she wants my opinion about whether they should pull their savings out and keep them home.

I calmly explained that their deposits are protected by the government, up to $100,000, and that they shouldn't worry. After I hung up the phone I was pretty proud of myself for not letting on about how FREAKED OUT I AM ABOUT THE ECONOMY.

There, I said it. The fake financial whiz that I am, the current slump/slowdown/recession/Wall Street implosion is causing me serious heartburn. We recently bought a new house, with a nicely sized mortgage, and our monthly budget is tight as is, while I pursue my entrepreneurial dream (read: not making lots of money). Seeing our investments lose value, daily, and trying to figure out whether the investors in my entrepreneurial dream will be too affected by their falling portfolios to keep supporting us is extremely stressful and, at times, seriously interferes with my mood. I do try to remind myself that we're young, we can weather this storm, our investment portfolios will be fine in the long run, and somehow we'll figure this out, but this perspective is tough to maintain.

I know I am not alone. A lot of our conversations with friends have circled around to jobs (how secure everyone's is and what is the backup plan), mortgages (those friends with adjustable rates are nervous), investments, and other related, and quite depressing, topics. And you can't turn on news without hearing about the economy and interviews with people who are stressed by it.

Are you more stressed because of the poor economy and general financial chaos?

Nataly Kogan is the co-founder and CEO of Workitmom.com, an online community and helpful resource for working moms.

Check out Nataly's recent posts on the Work It, Mom! Blog:

Let's just working moms some more, shall we?

The Female Impostor complex

Group work lunch: How do you split the bill?